But she said that there must also be "proper safeguards" toprotect that secret information from becoming public.

She made her speech as the debate around MI5's role inNorthern Ireland is being reopened by the St AndrewsAgreement.

The Government made unprecedented public promises about thesecret agency in the document, including commitments toshare all necessary intelligence with the PSNI when MI5takes over control of anti-terrorism next year.

Those commitments are meant to address concerns that somePatten reforms - like the creation of the PoliceOmbudsman's office - could be undermined by once againremoving Special Branch-type activities from scrutiny.

Mrs O'Loan will be out of office by the time MI5 takesover, but she has been involved in protracted negotiationswith MI5 about her successor's access to intelligence.

"My office must have total access to all necessaryinformation with the proper safeguards for thatinformation, some of which will be secret," she told theconference.

"If I can look a member of the public in the face and saythat I am satisfied because I have seen the intelligencethat what was done was done properly, or, if I have had todo, I come to the conclusion that those who are charged toprotect life and property failed in their duty and statethat fact, then people will have greater confidence.Confidence is the key to the fight against terrorism.

"For the new systems to operate effectively to protect ournational interest, there must be proper accountability andthere must be trust between those who have the onerousresponsibility for national security, those who are to beprotected by the police and security services, and thoseresponsible for the oversight of the police and thesecurity services.

"Only then will there be the maximum capacity for effectiveintelligence work."

In an annex to the St Andrew's Agreement, the Governmentnoted that Mrs O'Loan and MI5 "have been working togetherto agree arrangements for the Ombudsman's access tosensitive information held by the Service, where thisbecomes necessary for the discharge of the Ombudsman'sstatutory duties."

It added: "The Service has already disclosed sensitiveinformation to the Ombudsman's office in a number ofcases."

In the wake of St Andrews, the SDLP has been pushing for anMI5 complaints mechanism - like the Ombudsman's office -that can be used to investigate allegations against theSecurity Service.

He said Mrs O'Loan was calling "robust systems to protectsensitive information" alongside the access to information.

"The SDLP endorse these requirements. They should haveconcrete expression, particularly through a complaintsmechanism against MI5. Currently, anyone in any part of theworld who is under MI5 surveillance can lodge a complaintagainst MI5. But anyone else cannot.

"This is intolerable. It cannot be justified. This must beturned around. As part of the ongoing negotiation with theBritish Government, this issue needs to be resolved."

Secretary of State Peter Hain is to meet the Irish Ministerof Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern in Dublin later.

They are likely to discuss the implementation of the StAndrews Agreement.

They will also focus on resolving the row over aministerial pledge of support for the police.

Disagreements over the pledge led to the postponement of ameeting between DUP leader Ian Paisley and Sinn FeinPresident Gerry Adams last week.

Meanwhile, Mr Adams is to address a party conference onall-Ireland integration.

The party said it would be the first large republicanmeeting since its internal consultation into the twogovernments' St Andrews proposals began.

'Not ready to vote'

On Monday, the secretary of state said he remainedcautiously optimistic that problems surrounding the StAndrews Agreement could be resolved.

Speaking in Belfast, Peter Hain said he was not worriedabout the current Northern Ireland political situation.

He said the row over the DUP insistence that Sinn Feinpledge support for the PSNI before electing first anddeputy first ministers was a glitch.

Mr Hain said anyone who wanted to turn a glitch into acrisis had the ability to make that happen, but he did notbelieve it would happen.

The DUP wants a pledge of support for policing in placebefore DUP leader Ian Paisley and Sinn Fein's MartinMcGuinness can become shadow first and deputy firstminister.

The St Andrews Agreement stated that before the governmentlegislated on the pledge of office, "it will consider theoutcome of further Preparation for Government Committeediscussions on policing and the rule of law".

The Northern Ireland parties have been given until 10November to respond to what the governments are calling theSt Andrews Agreement.

It was published after intensive three-day talks betweenthe parties at St Andrews in Scotland.

If all goes to plan, a first and deputy first minister willbe nominated on 24 November and the devolved institutionswill be up and running by 26 March.

The DUP last night began its internal consultations overthe St Andrews' Agreement at a meeting of grassrootsmembers from the greater Belfast area.

The first in a series of party exercises was held at the LaMon Hotel, near Comber, and lasted more than two hours.

Around 300 rank-and-file members were joined by Assemblymembers and councillors, as well as leader Ian Paisley, hisdeputy Peter Robinson and party officials.

East Belfast MP Mr Robinson opened the meeting with astate-of-the-art audio visual presentation on the StAndrews proposals and the party's position.

Then leader Mr Paisley addressed the gathering, for almosthalf an hour, before taking questions from the audience.

The press and public were banned from what the party billedas a "strictly private" event, with several more organisedacross the province later this week. But a source said ithad been a "good and constructive" meeting which would helpthe party towards a final decision on the proposals - dueby November 10.

The meeting was chaired by councillor Jimmy Spratt, in hiscapacity as the Mayor of Castlereagh, who declined to makeany comment on the meeting.

Earlier, East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell said: "We inthe DUP are actively consulting throughout the widerUnionist community on where we have got to thus far.

"While considerable progress has undoubtedly been madethere is much more work to do."

The party also hit back at Ulster Unionist criticism overthe St Andrews' proposal for an Irish language act.

North Antrim Assembly member Mervyn Storey said: "Thenotion of an Irish Language Act is clearly a product of thetwo governments and is not supported nor agreed by theDUP."

The historic meeting between Archbishop Robin Eames andGerry Adams at Stormont yesterday was as significant in itsown way as the discussions between Archbishop Sean Bradyand DUP leader the Rev Ian Paisley two weeks ago.

Both are symbolic of a further milestone on the painfulroad of establishing more normal relationships between themain church and political leaders on both sides, and theyrepresent advances which would not have been possible evena few years ago.

Although both meetings were described by the participantsas being part of the normal round of consultations byrepresentatives of the province's main religious and socialgroups, they inevitably represent historical encounterswhich are part of the evolving peace process following theGood Friday Agreement and the St Andrew's talks.

The decommissioning of arms by the Provisional IRA has beena major factor in creating an atmosphere where politics canplay a greater role in settling major difference.

It was significant that much of yesterday's agenda atStormont was concerned with social justice issues includingeducation, the church's initiatives on child poverty, andthe review of public administration.

Other important issues discussed are those facing people onall sides of the community - water charges, rates andhealth issues, and the worrying rate of suicides inNorthern Ireland, particularly among young men.

The Continuity IRA has claimed that a series of firebombattacks on B&Q warehouses were carried out because the DIYre-tailer was supplying the military – but the companyimmediately denied this.

A spokesperson for the paramilitary group, using arecognised codeword, put forward for the first time amotive for the attacks, claiming that B&Q sold “kitchenworktops and flower bedding to the British army”.

However, the retailer said: “B&Q does not have contractswith or sell directly to any of the armed forces.”

A leading union official described the attacks on people’sjobs and livelihoods as “pathetic and cowardly”.

There has been a series of in-cendiary attacks on storesbe-longing to the DIY giants since August. Until now thefirebombings were thought to have been carried out by theReal IRA.

However, the Continuity IRA has now admitted responsibilityfor all the recent attacks – thought to total five – on B&Qsuperstores.

These include a hoax at a store in Derry last week and themost recent attack on the DIY chain’s Boucher Road store insouth Bel-fast where a device was defused by British armybomb disposal experts on October 16.

Sprinklers prevented the flames spreading after a store inNewtownabbey, Co Antrim, was firebombed. Staff had beenworking inside when the device exploded.

Republican Sinn Féin President Ruairi O Bradaigh has beenrefused a visa to enter the US. The former head of SinnFéin said he had been planning to visit New York for a booklaunch but was denied a visa by the administration overterrorism fears.

Mr O Bradaigh – a key figure in republican politics sincethe 1950s – is the subject of a new biography by anAmerican university professor.

Dr Robert W White's 350-page work on the life of Mr OBradaigh is already on sale in Ireland and was to belaunched at the weekend in New York.

"The proposed weekend visit to New York was intended solelyfor the book launch, surely a political act which has nowbeen suppressed by the US Department of State,'' aspokesman for RSF said.

Mr O Bradaigh is believed to be the only person who hasserved as chief of staff of the IRA, as president of thepolitical party Sinn Féin and to have been elected – as anabstentionist in the 1950s – to the Dail.

He took part in the Feakle talks in Co Clare involving theIRA leadership and Protestant churchmen in 1974.

In 1983 he was succeeded as president of Sinn Féin by GerryAdams and when the party ended its policy of abstentionfrom the Dail in 1986, he led a walk-out to form RepublicanSinn Féin.

The move comes after two high-profile Sinn Féinrepresentatives were refused visas to travel to the US toattend a Hunger Strike commemoration.

Conor Murphy MP and assembly member Barry McElduff had beendue to travel to Boston for meetings and take part in anumber of events.

However, they were forced to cancel the trip because the USadministration did not process their visa applications intime.

In 2004, the US State Department announced it was addingthe Continuity Army Council, as well as Republican SinnFéin, to its list of foreign illegal organisations.

Under American law, this makes it illegal for persons inthe US or subject to US jurisdiction to knowingly providematerial support to any of the three groups and requiresfinancial institutions in the US to block the groups'assets.

It also allows the US to deny visas to representatives andmembers of the groups.

However, Mr O Bradaigh has strongly denied that his partyis effectively the political wing of the Continuity IRA.

The book, entitled Ruairi O Bradaigh: the Life and Politicsof an Irish Revolutionary is by Robert W White, Dean of theIndiana University School of Liberal Art, and published byIndiana University Press.

October 24, 2006________________

This article appeared first in the October 23, 2006 editionof the Irish News.

With the St Andrews Agreement deadlines of November 10 and24 looming, the size and scope of the economic peacedividend are coming under intense scrutiny. Although theTaoiseach, Bertie Ahern, refused to confirm reports thatthe Republic is to spend €1b £700m) on north-south projectsbetween 2007-13, plans are already afoot and the Agreementcommits both the British and Irish governments toestablishing the most favourable possible climate fordevolution.

Cynics will say that the consent of the parties to sharingpower is being bought at a cost to the taxpayers, butmaking sure that the executive gets off to a financially-sound start is plain common sense. One of the many causesof the failure of the last experiment in devolution wasthat the public saw little tangible sign of economicbenefit, in terms of cross-border co-operation or re-distribution of funds no longer needed for securitypurposes.

This time both Gordon Brown and Irish Finance MinisterBrian Cowen, have been involved in the pre-Agreementnegotiations, showing proper regard for the need to re-build the Northern Ireland economy, after 35 years ofneglect. Last year, there was an announcement of jointgovernment investment of €15m, but this will be farsurpassed in the Republic's forthcoming NationalDevelopment Plan, which covers the spending of €100b oninfrastructure projects, including what has been describedas "a significant cross-border element".

Fortunately the Irish Foreign Minister, Dermot Ahern,represents a border constituency, so he is well aware ofthe need for closer economic links between Belfast andDublin. His pledge that "the Republic will not be foundwanting when it comes to providing exchequer funding" willlong be remembered, as the bargaining begins between theBritish, Irish and hopefully the Stormont governments, overthe cost of new, shared, infrastructure projects.

If the Press reports are correct, plans are well advancedin Dublin for more than €1b to be spent on motorways,electricity links and healthcare provision, all of whichwill have benefits for Northern Ireland. The detail has yetto be worked out - and the power-sharing executive musthave its say - but there should be no controversy aboutfunding for upgrading the Londonderry-Aughnacloy road, twonew electricity inter-connectors and shared hospitalservices.

While London has rejected pleas for a reduction in fuelduties, to eliminate the north-south gap, even theTaoiseach has joined the growing pleas for a common 12.5%corporation tax, arguing that "it would make a lot ofsense". Despite all the objections against creatingdifferentials in the UK and EU, it remains the mosteffective means of spreading the Celtic tiger effect andeliminating our over-dependence on the British exchequer.

Many are tired of the twists and turns of the peace processbut I can also detect a seething anger among manyunionists.

Their anger is directed at Ian Paisley for contemplating adeal with republicans that is no better and possibly worsethan the original agreement.

This, after a lifetime of protest against conciliation andpeace making, protests which many unionists believe werelittle more than a tactic to gain power and achievepersonal triumph.

Paisley should take note of the anger because it couldeasily become an avalanche as people turn against him andhis supporters. Previously he damned everyone who sought tomake peace as traitors and Lundys. O'Neill had to go,Chichester Clark had to go, Brian Faulkner, Jim Molyneauxthe Judas and David Trimble all had to go.

They went their different ways but Paisley remains and theprospect of gaining power seems to have given him a newlease of life. But rather than repent in sackcloth andashes for the damage inflicted he claims victory over theUUP.

Some years ago I discovered that the supposed traitorRobert Lundy of 1688 fame was demonised for doing exactlywhat his accusers were doing – trying to come to terms withthe enemy. Lundy was therefore a scapegoat in the truestsense, damned for doing precisely what his accusers weredoing. O'Neill was similarly condemned by Brian Faulknerfor his tentative and minimal concessions to nationalistsbut Faulkner went on to share power with the SDLP.

In 1998 from inside the building where the Good Friday dealwas done I observed Paisley wandering about outside thebuilding and protesting with a small crowd of followers.The whole place had been blockaded as Paisley tried to hypeup fears. As I watched from an upstairs window I becameconvinced that at some level Paisley wanted to be insidebut had been upstaged by Trimble.

It seemed he was deeply jealous of the latter's success.

He was also being hounded by a small number of loyalistprotesters incensed that the man who resisted change for 40years was now trying to damage possibilities of peace.

Paisley knows the deep antipathies that lie within heartsand minds and once he could draw out the fears with hisrhetoric. This ability was a powerful weapon to be drawnupon to inflict fatal damage on potential deal-makers.

But notwithstanding his reversion to type in his Twelfthspeech, he is now being decommissioned.

Rather than closing gates Paisley is now throwing them wideopen to engage directly with the leadership of the CatholicChurch and eventually with Sinn Féin.

He stands naked and exposed and his only excuse is that IRAweapons have been decommissioned and the IRA will supportthe police.

But the DUP insisted that decommissioning had to betransparent and that the police service was alreadydestroyed under Patten. They demanded pictures ofdecommissioning as evidence alongside the wearing ofsackcloth and ashes rather than the traditional green. Ithasn't happened and Paisley is now an emperor withoutclothes.

One aspect of Paisley's Agreement in particular is raisingunionist hackles. This is the section on promoting of theIrish language. Annex B states "The Government willintroduce an Irish Language Act reflecting on theexperience of Wales and Ireland and work with the incomingExecutive to enhance and protect the development of theIrish language".

The Good Friday Agreement did the same but only "whereappropriate and where people so desire it".

Now some unionists are worried that their children willhave to learn Irish and that their businesses will beforced to produce everything in Irish as well as English.

They feel that a door has been opened a door to the furthergreening of Ulster.

But the ultimate prize is a better Northern Ireland atpeace with itself and with our neighbours. Paisleyism haslittle choice but to follow through and while legitimateconcerns exist about dividing the spoils between thebiggest parties, this is but one step along the roadtowards a better normal society.

We with the generations that follow will face the task ofmoulding and shaping a new Northern Ireland in ways thatcan better meet human and environmental needs.

Hopefully we will never again countenance violence as ameans of solving human problems or be taken in by therhetoric of demigods.

October 24, 2006________________

This article appeared first in the October 23, 2006 editionof the Irish News.

The M3 motorway in the Republic could be delayed again byfurther legal action, it emerged last night.

At least two campaigners are to return to the High Court ina bid to block the project going ahead through the historicHill of Tara in Co Meath.

Protester Vincent Salafia said that “at least two” people –whom he declined to identify – plan to mount a fresh legalchallenge soon.

Speaking before a talk at NUI Maynooth last night, MrSalafia said there were a number of potential areas offuture litigation against the government.

The law student dropped his long-running Supreme Court caseagainst the project earlier this month on condition hewould not have to pay an estimated e600,000 (£415,000)costs incurred in a preceding High Court appeal.

“The remains of at least two national monuments have beenfound in the area of the motorway in recent times,” hesaid.

“European law is also being studied to bring it to bear onthe side of campaigners.”

Mr Salafia also claimed that the National Road Authorityplans to hold the public consultation for the tolling ofthe M3 after they sign the Public Private Partnershipcontract with the tolling consortium.

The Tara Watch group aims to canvass all Dail TDs on theirstance on the subject in coming months.

“Environmental campaigns such as these highlight the needto involve people in decisions that affect their lives andthe need to move away from corrupt and incompetentgovernment in Ireland once and for all,” Mr Hogan said.

Mr Salafia’s talk at NUI Maynooth, entitled ‘TheInconvenient Truth About the M3 Motorway’ was inspired bythe recently-released film on the environment by former USvice-president Al Gore.

TaraWatch is pleased to announce that the Tara LectureSeries at the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland(RSAI) will commence on Saturday 28th October.

All lecturers are opposed to the current route of the M3

The proceedings of the lecture series will be collectedinto a published volume, which will be co-edited by theIrish Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Professor Paul Muldoonof Priceton University, whose anti-M3 poem was published inthe Irish Times earlier this year (below).

Lectures will be held weekly in the Helen Roe LectureTheatre of RSAI, 63 Merrion Square, Dublin 2 at 12.00pmevery Saturday. Admission is free.

28th October: “The kingship of Tara—Pagan and Christian:The International context”

- Mr Charles Doherty, School of Early Irish History andArchives, University College Dublin.

Abstract: "The importance of Tara is not just local ornational — it is international. The type of kingship thatis associated with Tara is found in many societiesthroughout the world. Thus a study of Tara has an importantcontribution to make to world studies on kingship. Thekingship of Tara is exceptionally ancient and early Irishsources contain archaic elements that throw much light uponthis subject. This lecture will place Tara within thecontext of kingship as found in archaic societies in otherparts of the world. The impact of Christianity upon thispagan institution will be examined. The archaeologicalevidence will be discussed in the light of the documentarysources."

4th November: “The Four Masters conception of the HighKingship and use of Tara as a semi-legendary prop ofnationalism”

- Dr Joseph Flavin, Dept. of Old and Modern Irish,University College Cork.

11th November: “Tara and the rebellion of 1641

- Dr. Tadhg Ó hAnnracháin, School of History and Archives,University College Dublin.

* Other lecturers will include:

- Dr. Liam Leonard, Geography Department, NUI Galway authorof the recently published Green Nation: the IrishEnvironmental Movement from Carnsore Point to the Rossport5

- Dáithí Ó hÓgáin, Folklore Department, University CollegeDublin

RSAI was founded in 1849 in Kilkenny ‘to preserve, examineand illustrate all ancient monuments and memorials of thearts, manners and customs of the past, as connected withthe antiquities, language, literature and history ofIreland.’ They were very active around the early 1900's instopping the British Israelites from digging up the Hill ofTara in search of the Ark of the Covenant

WE MET AT THE SUMMER SOLSTICEWHEN EVERYTHING STOOD STILLHER SLOPING AWAY LIKE ISEULTLEFT ME OVER THE HILL

I RAISED THE CHAMBER IN THE MOUNDTHE OAK-FRINGED SACRED SPRINGTHAT FEEDS THE STREAMS THAT RUN AROUNDTARA OF THE KINGS

SHE WAS THROUGH WITH CARBON DATINGSTAKEHOLDERS WITH NO HAIRSHE WAS THROUGH WITH MONSTER MEETINGSIN FLATS OFF PARNELL SQUARESHE WAS THROUGH WITH CROWNED AND UNCROWNEDYEW TREES WITH COUNTLESS RINGSTHE DITCH THAT USED TO RUN AROUND

TARA OF THE KINGSCOULD WE WHO ENDURED THE PENALAND EDWARD POYNING’S LAWS(NEVER MIND THE BEEF TRIBUNAL)NOW SOMEHOW BE IN AWEOF A ROAD RUNNING THROUGH THE GROUNDON WHICH STOOD OUR ALTHINGAND NOT ENSURE IT RUN AROUNDTARA OF THE KINGS?

WE KNOW THE STONE OF DESTINYWAS SET UP IN THIS SOILNOW THE SOLDIERS OF DESTINYARE SET TO BANK THE SPOILSAND LEST THEY WISH TO BE RENOWNEDFOR RAPE AND RAVISHINGTHEY’LL NOT GIVE US THE RUNAROUNDON TARA OF THE KINGS

WE’RE FATED TO BE REMEMBEREDAS SPOILERS OF THE DEADAND THOUGH WE SEEM QUITE UNHAMPEREDBY HONOUR OR BY DREADYET WE ARE DREAD- AND HONOUR-BOUNDTO OUR UNBORN OFFSPRINGTO ENSURE THE M3 RUN AROUNDTARA OF THE KINGS

Jennifer Aniston's "friend" Vince Vaughn crossed acenturies old divide when he interviewed opposingpoliticians in Belfast, Northern Ireland, as he filmed adocumentary about the city's murals.

'The Break-Up' actor met republican Sinn Fein presidentGerry Adams in west Belfast before meeting with loyalistleader David Ervine in the east of the Northern Irishcapital last week (ends22Oct06).

Belfast is a city split between Catholic republicans whowant Northern Ireland to be unified with the Republic OfIreland, and Protestants who are determined to remain partof the Britain Isles.

Continue reading this article below

Both sides painted giant murals to convey politicalmessages and to honour their heroes during the violentstruggles which lasted for three decades until a ceasefirewas agreed in 1997. But new murals focus on bringing thedivided city closer together.

Ervine says, "He (Vaughn) was taking a break from shootinga film in London with Kevin Spacey to do this documentaryand came over for this weekend. There's no question he'sgenuinely interested in the subject.

"He was telling me his interest was sparked on a previousvisit when he took a black taxi tour from the Europa Hotel.He knew nothing about the murals before that trip.

"We did a spot of filming in Dee Street around a muraldepicting people coming to the shipyards. I was explainingto him that years ago we would not have a mural like thisbecause it would all have been about politics and ourdivisions.

"I told him that, for me, the mural was the epitome of thechange process that is going on in Northern Ireland. Themurals are changing." (c) WENN

Irish American Cathie Ryan, with her crystalline vocals andinsightful songwriting, is an original and distinctivevoice in Celtic music.

Kansas City, Mo. - infoZine - Since her acclaimed sevenyear tenure as lead singer of Cherish the Ladies, theDetroit born Ryan has established herself as one of CelticMusic's most popular and enduring singer-songwriters. TheBoston Globe recently wrote, "Cathie Ryan is a thrillingtraditional vocalist whose honey-pure soprano is equally athome on probing original ballads about a woman's place inthe modern world."

Thursday, November 9th, 2006

All Souls Unitarian Church 4501 Walnut, KCMO

Tickets are $17.00 for MVFS members, $18.00 for IrishMuseum and Cultural Center members w/postcard $20.00General Public

Sarah Milonovich- Fiddle, Flute, Whistles, Mandolin andBacking Vocals

Sara has been playing the violin since she was four yearsold. She joined The Adirondack Fiddlers at age seven, andat age twelve released her first cassette of traditionalfiddle tunes, Traditionally, Sara. She has performed withvarious classical ensembles throughout New York State,including the Empire State Youth and Repertory Orchestras,several string quartets, and with members of the Albany,Glens Falls, and Schenectady Symphonies. In 1998 shereleased the CD Mrs. Ippy Fiddle, which was a nominatedsemifinalist for the 1999 Grammy awards.

Greg Anderson- Guitar, Bouzouki, Backing Vocals

Greg Anderson is one of folk music's most respected multi-instrumentalists. He has long been a mainstay in the NewYork Irish music scene, and has been the musical directorof the Cathie Ryan Band for 8 years. He plays guitar,bouzouki, cittern, tenor guitar, bass, and keyboards, aswell as providing backing vocals. Greg has played with someof Irish music's best loved performers, including JamesKeane, Tommy Sands, John Whelan, Susan McKeown, and SeanTyrell, as well as artists as diverse as The Klezmatics,Itzhak Perlman, L. Shankar, and the avant-rock group DoctorNerve. He also co-founded the NYC Celtic-fusion bandWhirligig.